Does the Government Cause or Prevent Widlfires?

Introduction

Galon Wampler/Associated PressFire from the Waldo Canyon moved into subdivisions and destroyed homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., last month.

Wildfires have caused tens of millions of dollars in damage in Colorado and elsewhere in the West. With a recent study indicating that global warming will increase the likelihood of heat waves, such volatile summers could become more common. Has the government played a role in increasing the risk of these fires? Can government policies prevent them?